Refuse container cover remover



July 28, 1970 E. ,1. MADERE REFUSE CONTAINER COVER REMOVER Filed Jan.22, 1969 E lmare J. Madere lNVIiNTOR. @062 v Attorneys United StatesPatent 3,521,787 REFUSE CONTAINER COVER REMOVER Elmore J. Madere, Rte.1, Box 1194-D, Reserve, La. 70084 Filed Jan. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 793,051Int. Cl. B65d 43/04 U.S. Cl. 220-43 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREFor use on an outdoors-type refuse container having a friction-retainedlid or cover, a cover lifting, dislodging and freeing attachmentcharacterized in part by an adapter bracket having a fixed pivot pin onwhich a handleequipped cam is operatively mounted. A marginal edge ofthe cam has camming contact with the usual overhanging bead on therim-flange of the cover. By catching hold of and turning the handle inan orbital path, the resulting action lifts the cover to an easilyremovable position.

This invention relates to a simple mechanical device which lends itselfto ready attachment to a wall portion of residential-type trash andgarbage containers and which can be actuated by a single hand todislodge and free the lid in a manner to facilitate the steps of loadingand unloading the container.

An object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide aself-contained adaptation which in addition to the turnable lid pryingcam embodies a unique adapter bracket, that is, a bracket which isadaptable to ready installation on trash and garbage containers and issuch in construction that the cam operating handle can be latched andretained in a set but ready-to-use position so that it is necessary tointentionally disengage the handle preparatory to bringing the cam intoplay.

Briefly, the attachment comprises a one-piece adapter bracket whose longlimb is capable of being welded on the side wall of the container or canin a position adjacent the overhanging bead of the lid or cover. Thislong limb is provided with an integral outstanding pivot pin on whichthe cam means is eccentrically pivoted to act on the lid. The cam meanscomprises a disk-like cam whose edge has wiping contact with theoverhanging bead. An auxiliary or companion disk is mounted on the camdisk and it is of requisite smaller diameter and has an edge portionprovided with a shank carrying a handgrip and providing appropriate andconveniently actuatable handle means.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a refuse container (alsoreferred to in the trade as a trash can or a garbage can as the case maybe), the same being of more or less standard construction but havingadded thereto the improved cover lifting and removing device.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective similar to FIG. 1 and showing the camturned or moved from its normal set position to its functioning positionin which position it has lifted the lid so that it can be expeditiouslyset aside for container loading and unloading purposes.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken approximately onthe plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

And FIG. 4 is a horizontal fragmentary section taken on the plane of thesection line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular the container (trash or garbage can) isdenoted by the numeral 6. The attachable 3,521,787 Patented July 28,1970 ICC and detachable lid or cover is denoted at 8 and embodies theusual lid portion provided with a centralized handgrip 10 and having amarginal depending flange or rim 12 terminating in an outstanding bead14.

The lid lifting, dislodging and freeing attachment or device ischaracterized by a substantially L-shaped adapter bracket 16 made fromstrap metal or the like and which has an elongated or long limb 18 and ashort limb 20, the limb 20 being provided with an outwardly openingnotch 22 providing an appropriate keeper seat. The long limb is opposedto the upper side wall portion 24 and is welded thereto as denoted at 26in FIG. 3. The upper end portion of the long limb 18 is provided with anintegral outstanding headed stud which provides a suitable pivot pin 28.It is on this pin that the cam means is eccentrically and operativelymounted. This means is preferably made up of a main flat-faced disk 30having a marginal edge 32 which has wiping and operating contact withthe bead 14 as brought out in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular. A smallerfiat-faced companion disk 34 is superimposed and fixedly mounted on theouter surface of the disk 30 with its peripheral edge spaced inwardly ofthe encompassing edge 34. Both disks constitute a unit. It would bewithin the purview of the invention to mold the two disks as a singleunit (not shown) if so desired by the manufacturer. In any event thesecompanion disks 30 and 34 are eccentrically mounted on the pivot pin 28and can be switched from the set or latched position shown in FIG. 1 tothe lid lifting and prying position shown in FIG. 2. It will be noticedthat the marginal edge of the smaller disk 34 is provided with anoutstanding shank 36 which in turn is provided with an appropriateswivelly mounted handgrip 38. The handgrip and shank can be described asa disk actuating crank and is sometimes referred to as a cam operatinghandcrank. The shank 36 is such that it is capable of being releasablyseated in the keeper notch 22 when the disks 30 and 34 are in thelatched position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. By catching hold of thehandcrank and disengaging the shank 3 6 from the keeper notch the crankand disks can be turned on the eccentric pivot pin so that the edge 32rides against the bead 14. The latched position is shown in FIGS. 1 and2 and the lid prying, lifting and removing position is shown in FIG. 2.It will be evident that a container or can of the type shown equippedwith the attachment shown facilitates the loading and unloading stepsand will doubtless meet with the approval of homeowners and trashcollectors.

It is submitted that a trash can equipped with the manually actuatablemechanical attachment shown and described well serves the purposes forwhich it has been devised and successfully used. Accordingly, a moreextended description is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, an open top refuse container, a manually attachableand detachable cover for said open top, said cover having a dependingmarginal rim-type flange snugly encompassing and adapted to befrictionally retained atop said container, and lid lifting, dislodgingand freeing means exteriorly located on an upper portion of thecontainer, said means embodying a circular cam having a marginal edgeengaging an adjacent coacting edge of said flange, said cam having ahandle which is accessibly arranged for convenient use.

3 2. The combination defined in and according to claim 1, and whereinsaid cam comprises a fiat-faced disk of requisite diameter, and a pivotpin, said disk being eccen trically operatively mounted on said pivotpin.

3. The combination defined in and according to claim 2, and an adapterbracket fixed on said upper portion, said pivot pin being carried bysaid bracket.

4. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein saidbracket is L-shaped in edge elevation and embodies long and short limbs,said pivot pin being fixed on and projecting laterally from said longlimb.

5. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein saidbracket is L-shaped in edge elevation and embodies long and short limbs,said pivot pin being fixed on and projecting laterally from said longlimb, and said short limb having a notch and said notch constituting akeeper seat for a coacting component part of said handle.

6. For use on an outdoors-type portable trash can having a readilyapplicable and removable friction-held cover, a lid prying and liftingattachment comprising an L-shaped adapter bracket embodying long andshort limbs,

said short limb being notched and providing a keeper and said long limbbeing attachable to the can and provided adjacent one end with anoutstanding pivot pin, and disk means eccentrically mounted on said pinand provided with handle means;

7. The structure defined in and according to claim 6 and wherein saidfirst-named means comprises a main disk eccentrically operable on saidpivot pin and an auxiliary disk superimposed on said main disk andexteriorly located and provided diametrically opposite the pivot pointwith a radial outstanding shank, said shank having a free end portionprovided with a handgrip, said shank and handgrip providing a'handcrank,and said handcrank being releasably cooperable with said keeper notch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 930,306 8/1909 Miner 220-432,045,248 6/1936 Pearl 220-43 GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner

